Memories
by whatdotheydream
Summary: Oz has been having nightmares ever since the escape from the Baskervilles, and Alice worries about him.
1. What have you done to Alice?

Elliot:

I'd never seen him this angry. He was a child, filled with a bright light trying to cover up the shadows. He always smiled. Always. Even a scowl on his face was nearly…impossible. Yet, here he was, roaring. Howling. And his eyes, filled with a light that was…dark. Rage. Hatred. Loathing. Terror. That was what filled his voice as he screamed _**"ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE!" ****************************************************************************************************************************************_

Oz:

I was going to kill that man. I was going to _**kill**_ him. Kill him. **KILL.** He hurt Alice. He stole her. He _took her away from me. _She's laying there. Like before. Like when- _**nononononononno! SHE ISN'T DEAD! **_ Alice can't die. She's the B-rabbit. She's Alice. She's my sun. She can't die. She's too important. She's precious. She's the sun. The **sun**. She isn't dead. She isn't _**cold.**_ Like before. Like when- I couldn't save her. I'm despicable. I'm useless. I'm a scumbag. I'm unworthy of the sun. Alicealicalicealicealicealice. My sun. My dearest, my most precious, _**ALICE!**_ I'm going to kill you, Yura. I'm going to** kill you**. Because Alice is Precious. And I will destroy anyone who hurts her.

_"Yura… __**WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ALICE?" **__yes, I will destroy them, I will destroy them all. It's all right. It's all right, Alice, I'll save you this time, My Most Precious Alice… My sun._


	2. Drowning

It felt like drowning. Drowning in all of that darkness and hatred and fear. Filling him, over-ruling him, controlling him, smothering him, overwhelming him. He didn't know how it happened, he didn't know why, he just felt the desperate need to destroy something. Destroy it all because, if it was all gone (the hatred, fear, darkness), wouldn't he be able to smile again? That was it. He needed to smile. For everyone. But he needed to destroy all of it first. He couldn't smile if it was there. (_Why do I feel so cold?) _He needed to smile. Smile. That was all. So why was it so hard? (_I need to smile._) Smile. And destroy it all. Quick, quick, I'm drowning, destroy it, destroy it, _! I'm so cold, Alice, I'm . Drowning in it all._

And then, a sharp pain in his head. _What? _"Why are you wearing such a weird expression?" there was a pause. **"OZ!" ** _Alice. Alice has come for me._ Her gaze was strange. Perplexed, maybe? Worried? But also…understanding, he guessed. She reached down her hand, holding out a box of cookies _"Alice…" _He smiled._ It's all right._


	3. Picnics, Dancing and Gaping Nobles

"Hey, Oz?" Alice sounded excited, and a little agitated._ 'What now?'_ Thought Oz exasperatedly; not that he _really _minded. He was happy, he really was. He was happy she wanted to know so much about his world. Happy that she trusted him enough to ask him about it. She never, almost _never_, asked anyone else, _especially _not Break, or "Pierrot", as Alice called him. So why was he exasperated? _Oh well, I'd better answer Alice, she'll get impatient._ Oz looked up at his mistress, smiling at the odd mix of concentration, impatience, excitement, and curiosity. "Yes, Alice?" he asked, laughing softly as she scowled at him. "Manservant! What's a 'picnic'?" she growled at him, or tried to, she was really much too interested to be angry at her rude, disobedient, scumbag of a manservant right now (_really, she didn't mind him much; she'd take __**him**__ over Pierrot or Seaweed head any day)_. Oz beamed. "It's like a lunch outside, with all your friends, and you eat A LOT, and play fun games afterwards."He paused, watching her carefully. "Do _you _want one, Alice?" Her face the picture of concentration, she asked "Will there be meat?" she queried. "Yup! Lots of meat! Turkey sandwiches, fried chicken, meat loaf, corned beef and cabbage, and anything else you want, Alice!" _Anything, anything to make you happy, I'll do it for you._ "Then… Oz, I want a picnic! I'll be generous, and let you invite Seaweed Head, the Clown, and Sharon Onii-Sama, if you'd like." He let out a great big laugh. "Thank you, Alice." She smirked. "You bet, Manservant!"

"Oi! Gil! You too, Break and Sharon-Chan! We're going on a picnic! Gil, please inform Mrs. Kate to make up a large hamper, remind her to put a lot of meat!" Gilbert scowled. "Like she'd forget, that's all that baka usagai has eaten since we arrived…" Oz's expression darkened. "_Gilbert."_ "Yes, Master Oz!" Gilbert shivered as he crept out of the room. _Master is scary when he's angry…_

It was a bright, merry day outside, far away from the gloomy mansion. The little group headed out to one of the many leas of the Vessalius dukedom, a happy procession. At least Oz and Alice were happy; they were running ahead of the rest of the group, laughing happily, chasing after each other in a silly game of tag. "Hey Manservant! Bet I'm faster than you!" Alice's voice echoed across the meadow-lands. "I _beg_ to defer, My Alice!" exclaimed Oz, in a tone that said he very much disagreed. "Ha-Hah! Is this a _challenge_, blondie?" The three older adults shook their heads. "Honestly. I can't believe their antics. They're more childish than _Break_!" stated Sharon, not without a certain degree of fondness in her voice. "I _heard that_, Ojou-Sama!" whined Break, pretending to be deeply offended. "_Break."_ Lectured Sharon, one of her infamous smiles in place. "Y-yes Ojou-Sama." Shuddered Break. _Geez. What's with all these creepy kids?_

************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Oz smiled contentedly, a few hours later, worn out from racing Alice. He lost, of course. Gil was still pondering whether his Master had let _that stupid rabbit_ win on purpose. Oz picked up his golden pocket watch, studying it quietly. Absentmindedly, he opened it, sighing as the rather melancholic tune drifted through the summer air. "Hey Oz…Do you want to dance with me?" Alice was grinning down at him, hand outstretched. He took it, and they began to dance, remembering her words at Yura's(that _demon_) party. _"Long ago… Someone taught me how to dance. I can't remember who it was, but… It doesn't really matter! Because I'm dancing with you right now, and I like it." Alice…_ "Hey Alice, I've danced with lots of people before, but…You're the only one I've ever _wanted _to dance with!" Alice smiled, silent, for once. '_Geez. This is almost an exact replica of Yura's party…_'thought Break smugly. '_All we need are a couple of gaping nobles, and…_' there came a rustling from the bushes, and Elliot and Leo burst from the bordering trees. "Your servants said you'd be here, Gilbert, so I… _What are you two doing? Do you have any sense of…of…privacy?_" Elliot spluttered furiously. "Oooooooooooh…" chanted Leo, laughing. "Hey Elliot, leave the _lovebirds_ alone, won't you?" Alice choked._** "LOVEBIRDS? Why you idiot of a servant, I should CRUSH you for that!"**_ Oz smiled tenderly, hands still clasping Alice's. '_What a peaceful day…'_ Break smirked. '_creepy kids…'_ Sharon sighed, still in raptures from the dance scene._ 'What adorable little_ _children my friends are.' _ Gilbert just cringed, waiting for his brother's wrath. _'He'll blame me, he always does…'_ While Alyss watched from afar. '_just one day. I'll let them have a peaceful day, just once. You hate me, dearest sister, but I'll always love my little sister Alice. And… Our friend Oz will protect you from my beloved, demented, Jack. Remember that.'_ We'll leave them here, in a golden day that gives hope to tomorrow, a day like every other, yet beloved because of that.

The End

A/N: Hi. This is my first happy one about Pandora Hearts, the others were really… gloomy.


	4. Daisuki Desu and Sleepy Smiles

It was late at night, and Oz, Gilbert, Break, Mrs. Kate and Uncle Oscar were sitting in the Living room, glasses of wine in hand. Alice was asleep, a faint smile etched on her face. "Master Oz… I was wondering, what are your thoughts on Miss Alice?" Oz blinked lazily, smiling widely at Mrs. Kate. "Alice is loud, obnoxious, and possessive. But, she actually cares more than she lets on, and she's the realest person I know." It was their turn to blink. "Care to explain what you mean by 'real', nephew?" asked Uncle Oscar loudly. Oz grinned. "My pleasure, Uncle. Alice does what she does because she wants to. Alice smiles when she is happy, cries when she is sad, screams when she is angry, and she isn't hiding anything from me. Or, rather, she is, but she isn't doing it to deceive me. She simply isn't telling me because she feels she doesn't need to. I'm not telling you everything I'm thinking right now, but I'm not lying to you. It's just, they're my thoughts, and I want to keep them mine."

He paused, smiling softly. "Alice has such a bright smile. I hope she can always find a reason to use it." Here he ended, gently picking up Alice and settling her on his back. "Young…Master…Oz…?" Mrs. Kate stared at her retreating master. "What…?" Uncle Oscar chortled loudly. "Of course… He would-he _would _fall in-love with his chain. That's the Vessalius for you, such trouble-makers we are."

Oz smiled tenderly at his small package. "Daisuki desu, Alice. But… You would never let me say that to you, would you?" He sighed happily. "No matter. I'm just happy…you acknowledge me at all." He giggled quietly to himself. "You're so light Alice! Strange, that the great B-rabbit has so little weight." Alice grumbled. "Are you saying I'm fragile, Manservant?" Oz blinked rapidly. "Alice! Have-have you been awake the e-entire time? She yawned. "Mm-mm. Just…woke …up…Hey Oz, you're warm." Alice smiled sleepily at him, and closed her eyes. "Do…I…have to…sleep alone… tonight…? He laughed. "Is Alice getting lonely?" she growled. "Shut up, Manservant! You're so…!" and her head dropped back onto his shoulder. Oz smirked. "Alice is sleepy tonight~!" And Alice mumbled back in her sleep.


	5. A Warning

Elliot and Oz were standing by the refreshments table, Elliot stiff and at attention, Oz relaxed and calm as always. Elliot frowned off in the direction Alice had skipped to. "She's weird." He muttered under his breath. Oz stiffened, then smiled. "She's certainly different from the crowd." Elliot grimaced. "Too much. You don't think they'll notice she's…?"

"No. She's just a bit… excited. She's never been on a formal outing before." Oz snapped, frowning thoughtfully. Elliot bit his lip. "Why…why do you let her treat you like that? Always ordering you about! You're the heir of the Vessalius Dukedom, for Heaven's Sake!" Oz gazed at Alice fondly. "I am her devoted servant. She is my Master, and I owe her my life. She acknowledges me, at least. Something I repeat to myself often." He smiled, almost wistfully.

Elliot blinked. "Y-your life?" Oz nodded, grinning. "Mmm. She saved me, deep down there in the Abyss. The Chains…Trumps, she called them. They tried to…eat me. There was another, Mad Baby; it steals your memories, and pretends to be someone close to you. _That one_ almost got me. But Alice nearly sacrificed herself for me; that was when I decided I'd contract with her. I couldn't bear to lose her there…" Oz fell silent for a while, as if seeing things only he could. "She's a strong girl, my Alice, but she gets 'cold' easily. She's actually a very sensitive person, and that rough exterior is merely the shell of the young girl inside."

Elliot swallowed. "You're… Rebuking me, aren't you, for…" Oz's lips stretched across his face in a tired, cheerless grin. "I'm just warning you, my priorities lie with Alice. She is very precious to me, and I will protect her no matter what the cost, and no matter who I have to destroy to make her happy. That's all."

With that, he ran off to join Alice, grinning and laughing as brightly as usual. His emerald eyes were shining with mirth, and a will to survive, if just a bit longer. But Elliot saw them turn to him every so often, the warning clearly written in his eyes. _Don't you dare hurt Alice. The consequences would bring great sadness to both you and I._


	6. ashes and Roses

The slim girl perched atop the roof, clutching a stuffed black-rabbit in her hands. "See, Oz, I told you, it's beautiful!" She paused. "You know, the grey and red light used to remind me of ashes and roses." The doll seemed to laugh, and she scowled at it. "If you weren't my friend, I'd kill you right now!" This just amused him further, and his bead-eyes twinkled with laughter. Or was it just the light? She huffed, annoyed, then grinned. "I can't be mad at you, Oz. After all…You're my only friend. Cheshire doesn't like me anymore…But you'll always love me best, right?"

There were heavy footsteps, and a tired voice called out. "Alice…Are you talking to that doll again?" Alice blinked. "Uncle Oswald!" She grinned into her Uncle's chest as she hugged him. "Oz wanted to see a sunrise. He's never seen one before!" Oswald sighed. "Alice…twelve's a _bit_ too old to talk to stuffed rabbits, no matter who they are a gift from." Alice scowled. "Uncle…I've _told_ you…Oz is _**alive**_! And you offend him very much with that talk! Doesn't he, Oz?" Oswald grimaced. '_This was endearing when she was a child, but now…It's slightly embarrassing_.' He thought gloomily, staring at the top of his niece's head. "Um, Alice…" Alice smiled thoughtfully. "Even Cheshire has abandoned me for _her_, but Oz will always love me best."

Oswald blinked. Her usually bubbly disposition was gone, replaced by a grave, somewhat wistful child. She was utterly serious, she wasn't pretending or fantasizing, which was what he usually accused her of when she talked to or of Oz. Then she laughed gleefully. "Did you hear him, Uncle? Did you?" Oswald frowned. "What…?" She smiled. "He said…'smile. Alice is so sweet when she smiles.' Hum, Oz, I will smile, 'cause it makes you happy when I do!" Oswald stared at her. "He likes…your smile?" She grinned. "I guess…He really just wants me to be happy!" _What?_ "Alice. Maybe you should sleep. You look…tired." Alice pouted. "But Uncle…" She whined, scowling at him. Then she frowned thoughtfully. "Oh, all right Oz, if it pleases you. Very well, Uncle, I will sleep, but only because Oz asked me to." She snorted. "You owe him a favor now, Uncle!" And she then proceeded to jump to the tower-window, and in to her room.

Oswald walked slowly back to his room. _Thump_. "Eh? Oh! Revis!" he exclaimed, surprised to see the dying man up and about, especially this early. "Master Glen…You seem…troubled. Is Alice all right?" Oswald leaned against the wall, smiling. "Yeah. It's just…do you think Oz is really…alive? Like she says he is?" Revis looked puzzled. "Of course he is. Lacie gave him life. Didn't you know that? Jack did." Oswald blinked. "Ah…! That means…That stupid rabbit is in-love with Alice!" Revis tilted his head, smiling dangerously. "And…How do you make that out?" Oswald groaned. "She said…she said he only wanted her to be happy. And he thinks she's sweet, he loves her smile, and she said he was her _only_ friend." _Even Cheshire has abandoned me for _her_… But Oz will always love me the best._ Both men yelled in unison: _**"WE HAVE TO SAVE HER!"**_

**101 years later:**

_ . Burrapa. Burrapa. . _The carriage jostled along the rutted lane, startling awake the sleeping Oz and Alice. The red and grey light filtered in through the windows, causing a somewhat odd sense of nostalgia. "Hey Oz…What's that?" Oz gazed out at the pale coloured sky. "It's a sunrise. Isn't it… dazzling?" He turned to Alice, smiling softly. "It's beautiful." She answered quietly. Oz nodded. "Ashes and roses…" He whispered musingly. "Huh? Speak up, Manservant, will you?" She scowled, irritated. _What now?_ Oz smiled. "Someone once told me…this light… reminded them of ashes and roses. Grey and red, you know." Alice wrinkled her nose curiously. "Who said that?" Oz sighed. "I can't remember…She was…very important to me, though." Alice frowned._ 'Ashes and roses. Ashes and roses. Why does that seem so…familiar?'_ "_Ring around the roooooooooooosies…Pockets full of posies…Ashes…Ashes…We all…Fall…DOWN!_" A macabre voice echoed out of nowhere, and Break crawled through the window, causing Alice to shriek and fall over, and Oz to smile emotionlessly at the wall. "! I couldn't help but here your oddly peculiar conversation, you know!" Break squealed, back to his normal, sing-song voice. "Really strange, you know, Oz-kun remembering something from the _passssssssssssst_!"

Alice hissed, and recoiled, as Break let his gaze drop on her. "And, it seems Alice-kun remembers something to." He paused, smiling maliciously. "Did you … They say people destined for each other meet each other again and again… No matter how many times they ~!" _Twitch. Twitch. __**Cuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrackk!**_"Uwaaaaaaaah! Alice-kun, why are you so meeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaan to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~? "

Oz chuckled. "Ah, Break, be polite to the lady, hummm~?" Break sniffed, pretending to pout. "You , Oz-kun? I see where you true affections lie nooooooooooooooooooooooooow~!" He exclaimed dramatically, yet somehow childishly and playfully at the same time. Oz laughed, playing along once again. "Why, yes, how did you knoooooooooooooooooooow~?" He said, winking and throwing his arms around Alice, who squirmed and wriggled in an attempt to get away from her impertinent Manservant. Break's eyes (excuse me, eye!) widened. 'Ah! Oz-kun! Be careful! Miss Alice has a VEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRYYYYYYYYY hard fist~!" Oz suddenly became stiff and serious. "Don't joke. Alice wouldn't purposely hurt me. I'm her only friend." _She promised…_ Suddenly he started, confused. "Where did that come from, Ta~? My mind must've slipped! Of course, Alice has you, Gil, Ada and Sharon-chan as buddies too!" Break stared at him. _Creepy, creepy kids…_"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllll, Oz-kun, I had a nice chat, but Milady will be wanting her faithful servant now! ~!" And Break left to screams of "_!_ Alice-chan, that hurts!" and "**GOOD, you insolent whelp! HOW MANY TIMES must I tell you to MIND YOUR PLACE?"**

**Later, next morning, and finally at the Vessalius Mansion:**

"Oz…?" Alice poked her sleeping Manservant in the arm. "Nnnngh? Wasssswrong? Alice?" He mumbled drowsily, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Why…Did you joke like that with The Clown?" She asked, almost timidly, at least, for Alice, that is." He blinked. "About what?" She scowled. "You knooooooooow," she wined. "About the affection thing." He smiled placidly. "Ah. I wasn't. Not really, anyway." He paused, cautious in his approach to this subject. "Um…You're…very, very important to me. So I guess… I guess it's like this…all I've ever wanted was for you to smile." _'smile, Alice!'_ He scratched the back of his neck embarrassedly. "I'll do anything to make you smile. _**ANYTHING**_." He ended, finally looking up at her face, not down at his feet. "A-Alice?" She was crying, and as he looked at her, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him in a great, big hug. "_I knew you'd never abandon me!_" For a second, she looked just like the little girl she'd been 100 years ago. Soon, though, she pulled back and grinned. "Sorry. I wasn't acting myself, was I?" She crowed gleefully, tugging at her Manservant's arm. "_**OZ!Let's go get some MEAT!**_" Oz smiled softly as she pulled him to the kitchen. _She's grown…Yet, she hasn't. She's still the child I knew._ He blinked. _Huh? What was that? Must've been…Jack! _But, he knew it wasn't Jack, even then. But he could pretend, right? Because, right now he was too tired to face the truth. _/Oswald stared at her. "He likes…your smile?" She grinned. "I guess…He really just wants me to be happy!"/* _

A/N: So the end, where they acted all weird, that was kind of an affect/backlash of having flashbacks. You know, the mind forgets, but the heart never does? That stuff. The last italics were a flashback/replay thing.

P.S. He didn't EXACTLY confess to her… Not EXACTLY. ;D


	7. My Angel

**Lottie's P.O.V:**

I wandered aimlessly through the Baskerville hideout; Lord, times between missions were tiresome. I scanned the ground, not sure of what I was searching for. Something, anything to pass the time. And that was when I spotted the crumpled piece of paper. _Huh?_ I was about to throw it away (_useless trash_), when I saw something scribbled on it.

"_Alice. You were like an angel. My angel. My sun. And yet…I have sent you back. I am a horrible person, Alice. No. I am not even a person. A thing. I am a horrible thing. You were right, all these times you called me a scumbag. You didn't mean it. But I do. You were so bright; I was your shadow. The thing that crawled out of the darkness and followed you, clung to you. I was the demon all along. Not the Baskervilles. Not even Jack. __**Me**__. I was. __**Me**__. I'm repeating it, so that maybe it can get through to the world. It was me. Oz Vessalius, the B-Rabbit. No. Not Vessalius. Vessalius has nothing to do with this- well Jack does, but…but the main problem is me. __**Me**__. Oz, the B-Rabbit. Not Alice. Not Jack. Not Glen. Not __**T**__he __**W**__ill. Oh, no. Just __**ME**__. Yes, Alice, and I am so, so deeply sorry. So sorry for all your pain, all your hurt. Because I have caused it, haven't I?"_

I stared. _What a brat. Doesn't he know? Jack is the true demon. The kid is just a toy. But of course, he gives himself the place of utmost importance._ Then I laughed. _But don't we all?_ I tucked the paper in my sash and continued on, meandering in my vast boredom. _Where's the brat? I want to tease him._ I paused. _No…Comfort him, maybe. After all I do know __**slightly**__ how he feels. Oh dear. Not again. __**BLAST**__ these maternal instincts! Oh well…Lily __**could**__ use a big brother. She already calls him Onii-Chan, anyways. All the little kids do._

I walked on and on and on and on, until-YAY! A door! Finally, a way to escape this dratted place. Admittedly, not as interesting as the secret passages of the Baskerville Mansion, but, a way, nevertheless. I peek out the door, and saw-the brat. Lying on a little hill, surrounded by flowers, gazing up at the sky. Aaaahhh, what a peaceful scene. Except for the look of hatred and self-loathing on his face, and the letter tucked into my sash. Ah, _yes_. Extremely peaceful.

**Alice's P.O.V:**

_I watch Charlotte try to pretend she isn't walking towards Oz. I remember Charlotte now. She was like a big sister, or maybe an Aunt or even a Mother. She was nice. Bossy, but nice. She is saying something now._ "I found your letter to Alice." _What?_ _Oz's face looks weird now. It's like he's saying 'duh', but he's not actually talking. Then he speaks._ "Of course you did. I meant for _someone _to find it."_ I don't understand. What's going on? Charlotte seems to share my thoughts. _"Why?"_ Oz growls._ "**Because I wanted them to hate me as much as I do.**" _ Oh, my stupid, stupid Manservant. Doesn't he know it's not his fault? Of course, I'm angry-at Jack. Jack. Jack, who we thought was a hero. Jack. Jack, who repeatedly hurt and destroyed Oz. MY SLAVE! MY PROPERTY! Ugh. And my friend. Though I wouldn't tell __**Oz**__ that for all the world. But wait, something is going on. Charlotte seems to have recovered from her shock. Good girl._ "That's stupid. You're being stupid."_ You tell him, Charlotte! Stupid Manservant! But Oz doesn't take this well. _"**Don't speak to me! Why are you speaking to me! Don't look at me! Don't touch me! Don't presume you know me! You don't know me! You don't know!**_ You have no idea what this is like!_" _He isn't done. He rises, stands on his feet._ "I,"_ he hisses._ "I destroyed what I loved most. The thing most precious to me, I destroyed."_ But I am not dead. Just gone._ "She is not dead. But the place I have sent her is far worse."_ Oz swallows. He is having difficulty in continuing._ "She was an Angel. An Angel." _Me? An Angel? Let me laugh!_ "So bright. So Alice. But that's not all. She saved my life, in more ways than one. Yet I destroyed hers."_ I am surprised. But soon I am distracted._ "She loved this place. Places like this. Quiet. Watching the world. But she liked the loud markets and festivals, too. Especially the meat."_ He smiles briefly. Then a single tear smudges his cheek. _"But she will never see them again. Never be here again."_ He turns angry. Blood rises in his eyes. I try to scream, I try to shout. 'OZ! STOP!' But I cannot. I cannot reach him from this place. He is lifted in the air from the power of B-Rabbit. And he screams._ "**World! I am Oz, Oz the B-Rabbit! Look upon me, and despise me as I do, for I have destroyed that which is most dear to me! HATE me! For I am the foulest of all things!**" _The destruction of his anger rips across the field, and soon it is a heap of charred earth. The ashes of the poor creatures caught in the fiery outburst litter it, the smell of death pervading the once-peaceful air. Charlotte stands open-mouthed, in awe, and, perhaps fear. She looks down to where Oz has landed, crouching in the ashes of his anger. "Oh, Oz." I sigh. "My stupid Manservant." I hear him cry. I look back. He has his face in his hands. His shoulders are shaking. His fingers are trembling, and his chest is heaving from suppressed sobs. Oh dear. I wish I could tell him, it's not so bad here. Of course, I hate it. But it's not so bad. Then I hear my sister's voice. "Send him a wind." What? "What?" I repeat what I have thought out loud. "A wind," She says, in a superior tone, "it is a thought, which has taken the shape of a wind. It also takes the aroma of the sender." I blink. "Okay. How do you do that?" My sister smirks. "You are stupid, aren't you? Feel a thought, __**hard**__, then send it. It's not so difficult, especially when you love the person. It's harder when you hate them." She sounds peeved. It is my turn to smirk. "And how does my sister know?" She glares, then pouts in defeat. "I tried to send one to Oswald, once. It didn't work very well." She is busy scowling at her long ago defeat, so I turn back to Oz. "__**There is hope. There is hope. There is hope.**__" I paused, then- "__**I love you.**__" I push on the words, somehow, pushing and shaping them with my heart. __**S**__ending them, down to the crumpled little heap that is Oz. I hear a giggle behind me. I scowl, knowing it is my sister. "This __**isn't **__funny!" She laughs again. "Quite to the contrary, sis." She pauses, smirking. "It is hilarious." I huff, annoyed and embarrassed. "Is NOT!" "IS TOO!" "Is __**NOT**__!" "__**IS TOO!**__" I pause. "It isn't." She is surprised by my sudden stillness. I ruin the affect by yelling, "__**HAH! I win!**__" She smirks, and I do not like the look of it. "You are so immature." "You would be too, if you'd been 13 for a hundred years." She laughs. "I WAS. Baka-Usagai!" I scowl. "HEY!" I decide to ignore her and turn back to Oz, once again. He is smiling, with his eyes closed, looking up at the sun, and saying something._

**Random P.O.V.**

A boy huddles on the ground, shoulders shaking. He is crying, and the woman standing beside him looks both confused and angry. She nudges him with her foot, but he ignores her. He does not wish to speak right now. Suddenly a soft wind springs up around him, staying near him, caressing him gently. He jolts in wonder, staring out at the ruined field with glazed eyes. "Alice?" he whispers, standing. His face is streaked with ashes and tears, but his eyes are bright as he gazes at the sun. "My Angel. My sun." He smiles, closing his eyes and raising his hands to the sun. "My Angel is watching over me." An innocent grin spreads over his face, and his heart is, at once and at last, in its final peace.

A/N: Whoo, I finally wrote another oneshot. Alice's p.o.v. is weird because, you know, she isn't "there". So yeah. Sorry for taking so long, it's just, the manga suddenly got A LOT sadder….I didn't really know how to cope with that.


	8. Nightmares

**A/N: This is dedicated to Bree Renee, who requested it. I hope it lives up to your expectations, even though it isn't very long.**

_ She tiptoed to his bed. "Oz, I'm hungry." He didn't move. "Oz…Oz! Get up NOW, you scumbag!" He __**still**__ didn't move, so she poked him. He was cold, and stiff, and he didn't feel like Oz. He didn't __**look**__ like Oz either, she realized. His eyes were open, and they were staring up, yet they seemed to be looking at nothing. Or everything. She shoved him this time, but he didn't wake up. Instead, his head rolled off. She screamed and screamed, and she couldn't stop screaming._

**-PAGE BREAK-**

She woke up, blinked. The sun wasn't quite up yet-why was she awake…? She bolted up. _Oz! _No…no, that was just…just a dream. But…_what if_…_this was the dream? _ She got up. _If he's in bed, and his head's intact…he's alive._ She dragged her feet across the room. _One more step…_She was there. His bed was empty. And cold. She screamed and screamed, and she couldn't stop screaming. _Help me. Please help me._

**-PAGE BREAK-**

He was thirsty. _Very thirsty_. He didn't really want to leave the room-Alice had been having nightmares-but he had to. He was thirsty, been thirsty for _hours_. He didn't even have any saliva anymore. And let's face it-it was _hot_ in here. He reached out, grabbed a cup, and filled it with water. It never reached his lips, and instead, shattered on the floor. _Alice!_ She was screaming. Was something wrong? Was…Was a chain attacking? He'd never forgive himself if…_Alice! I'm coming, Alice…Alice!_ He tore up the stairs. _Alice! _

**-PAGE BREAK-**

He found her by his bedside, screaming hysterically. "Alice? Alice are you alright? Alice…" She turns around. _She is furious._ "_Where were you, you scum?_" She advances on him. She's practically spitting, she's that mad. _"Where were you?"_ He stumbles back. "I…Getting water. I was _thirsty_, Alice." That last part is a plea. She deflates, sighing. _"I was so worried…" _She murmurs. She smiles. "I'd convinced myself you were dead. I'm sorry." She doesn't know what she's apologizing for, but she knows she has to. Then she kicks him. "Don't _ever_ scare me again! That's the _master's_ job!" He winces. "Itte, itte Alice." He whimpers, cowering. "Oh, stop it. You _know_ you enjoy the attention." He bights back the reply that, though he certainly enjoys her attention, he doesn't like _that sort_. He doesn't have much time to think, though, before she's pulling him up by the collar, and tossing him into bed. He glances at her, wide-eyed, as she climbs in besides him. _"Alice! This isn't-!"_ Proper, he was going to say. And she knows it, too. But then again, when has she ever cared? She smirks. "Shut up, and tell me a story!" This silences him. A story? _A story. _He looks at her. She's waiting, eyes wide. _A story. He will tell her a story._

"Once upon a time-" she interrupts him. "I like these kinds. They always end up happy." He nods. "Mmm." She looks at him, blinking innocently. "Oz…You once said this all seemed like a fairy tale…Do you think it will end happily?" _No. No,_ He thinks._ No, because life always ends in death. Always._ But he doesn't say that. "If we make it so, Alice." She nods. She is happy. "Continue, Oz." He blinks. "Huh?" Confused. "The _story_!" Impatient. "Oh. Oh, yes. Once Upon A Time…"

_Once upon a time, there was a girl, locked in a tower. She did not know who she was, or why she was there…Just that she "was." One day, however, an outcast prince rode by; he had been abandoned in the dark forest by his father, for a sin that he did not know. Upon seeing the tower, he looked for a door, and on finding a door, he entered the tower, he closed the door. _

_ This though, was his mistake. You should never, ever, ever close a door when you don't know what is beyond it, for what is beyond it is not always pleasant. In fact, this tower was not only inhabited by the maiden, but also by terrible monsters, who were holding her captive. As the lad climbed the long stair case, he heard a noise. "What was that?" he gasped, drawing his sword. At that moment, a large, spidery creature with a large baby's head. Horrified, he stumbled back. His skill was no match for this beast, it would kill him-he knew, but he would die fighting._

_ However, this sacrifice was not necessary. The girl, upon hearing a commotion raced down the stairs, exclaiming 'run!' She leaped at the horrid monster, knowing, that she would not survive it. She looked back at the boy, and smiled. My name is Alice…Oz. And somehow, he knew what to do. 'Alice! Alice, I will be your friend.' And because, he was her friend, he saved her, and because, she was his friend, she saved him. They lived happily ever after, sailing around the world. The End_

"Alice? Oh, Alice you're asleep." He murmured, glancing down at the girl, her head snuggled into his chest. "Alice…" He sighed. "You didn't get to hear our ending, Alice." He'd made it just for her…_Her _happy ending. Because…Because…He couldn't face it yet. He couldn't say it yet. But he knew it. He stared down at her face, softened by the grey light, a childish smile glimpsed upon her face. "Oh, Alice…I would never forgive myself." And as he drifted into slumber, his last conscious thought was '_Gil will __**flip**__ when he sees this…' _And so he did. But let's save that for another time, shall we?


	9. Roses

Roses

**ALICE **She used to hate roses. The red ones were okay, but they still had thorns. The white ones were intolerable. Somehow, they reminded her of everything she'd had-and everything she lost. _He_, however, _loved_ roses. Was surrounded by them. She asked him why, once.

_"Manservant! Why do you surround yourself with those insignificant flowers? Oz paused in his random flirtatious behavior to answer. "They're rather like life, ne? Wonderful and painful in the same moment." He smirks, knowing this will irk her-but his eyes are soft, and they gleam. He is entirely serious. "And, Alice-they remind me of you." Her glare is sharp and angry-like thorns. "What! How dare you, you impertinent human!" He laughs, because he knew she would say that. "You really are quite beautiful, Alice. But you can be sharp, too-no, don't be angry, it is true, and what sort of manservant would I be if I weren't honest?" He sighs, looking at her for permission to continue, and she nods. He knows his place. It's just, sometimes (most of the time) he chooses to ignore it. "And you see, Alice, without thorns, a rose is very vulnerable, and Alice-without __your__ thorns, you, too, are vulnerable. Most people are." And he hands her an indigo rose, stripped of all thorns._

She looks now, at a vibrant rose garden, an image in her mind made by the pleasing powers of Abyss. Then she cries, because she knows that he will never share this with her. And he loved them so much.

**OZ:**

He holds a lily in his hand. Pale, slender and serene. Truly beautiful. But…but. She is not here to see it. She probably wouldn't appreciate it anyways. She would say it was too _quiet_. He tosses it aside-roses were always a favorite of his. Just like her. Bright, beautiful, and so wonderful, so lovely. But they bring so much pain. His mother did warn him-roses have thorns. But he never listened-especially not after she died. He was always a little mad at her, feeling abandoned by her, left to his father. Childish, really. That's what Alice would say-and she was right, so right-always was. And she knew that. He knew that.

**PAGE BREAK**

**So, this came to me while I was wasting the dark and staring at the wall…^.^ **


	10. The First Midsummer Festival For Alice

Sometimes Alice acted like a thirteen year-old girl. Which means she had lots of sharp mood swings, craved food periodically (mostly meat), and had a tendency for being very possessive (especially with her manservant, well, he was her slave, after all!). Other times, she acted like a two year-old. Why shouldn't she? She didn't know anything about this world; she'd lost all of her memories, and from what they'd seen recently, she'd spent her previous life locked in a tower. She was curious (especially about food); she poked her nose into every corner of everything (you never knew what this world could give).

Oz had different ages too-most of them were set off by Alice. Fifteen: flirting with other girls, (oh, how cross that got her!) making googly eyes at Sharon, (what did he see in that twit?) and pasting a great big grin on his face, even when she _knew _he was lost and cold and unhappy. Somewhere in his twenties: Not exactly twenty-five, maybe twenty-two. Not quite settling down, you know, but deciding where he _might _settle down, when he has the time. Then, here was the strangest one, perhaps of both of their ages combined. Sometimes, Oz acted like a mother. Two year-olds, you know, need mothers, because they're forever getting lost and hurt and scared, and they don't know much yet, and it's a _mother's job_ to protect the poor things from a harsh world.

Today, unfortunately for Oz, was going to be a two year-old day, for it was the Midsummer's Festival, and Alice had never been to one before. Her exuberance new no bounds, even though this was a rather _small_ carnival, according to Sharon, that is (who had been to the Grand Reiville Jubilee). However, to Alice, this small occasion seemed quite extraordinary and impressive, with the glowing red lights floating along the roadsides, the chattering and good-natured vendors, the noise of exultant people, and, perhaps best of all, the aroma of many, _many_ new foods to test; and to Oz, it seemed perhaps much, much vaster than anything, because, quite frankly, Alice was in a curious mood, and there were many, many twisted streets and darkened alleys that she might lose herself down, and, to put it sharply, the world wasn't made of good people alone. Alice knew that, sort of, but it was in a childish way that she knew it, and she wasn't prepared for _this world_. He could only hope she would tire quickly- something he knew was very unlikely to happen.

Alice was chomping down meat in a fashion that would make even Break sick, when something caught Oz's eyes. A bright lit stall, red and green draped, with a humongous sign with, big, bold letters. _**PETS FOR SALE**_! It exclaimed, almost noisily. But what really caught his eyes was a fluffy black bunny, small and _very_ young, barely old enough to be separated from its mother. "Hey miss, what's the cost of the rabbit?" he asked as he drifted towards the booth. "Eight dollars, no less young'un." She paused. "I'd like to give it free, but I avn't got much, and I support a large family." He grinned cheekily. "I've got enough. Eight, you say?" He passed the bills, picking up the small fluff ball. "Hey, Alice! Look what I go-…!" He scanned the area quickly, frantically. No Alice. _No Alice!_ "Excuse me, miss. I seem to have lost my person. Would you keep this while I look for her?" Oz asked, emotionlessly, except for the terror in his eyes, then set the bunny down and dashed off.

_Your throat closes up. A cold flood of panic engulfs you. You call and call and call and call and call but there's no answer. The silence rushes up like a great wind and surrounds you. Your chest aches, your voice scratches in your throat, and that's when the tears force themselves from your eyes, trickling hesitantly down your cheeks. But you wipe them away, because you have to be strong. And they're dead, they're dead, you know they are, because you aren't there to protect them anymore. And the guilt and panic make you sick, and your fists clench against the urge to vomit. Because you disgust yourself._

Oz tore about like a mad-man, calling, calling, calling for his lost Alice, and it seemed like years before he heard her childish laughter, around a dark corner. He turned sharply-and there she was. Dabbing her fingers in brilliant colors of orange, violet, ruby and scarlet, cerise, yellow, sapphire and grey, and smearing it across the canvas in a mad dash of a sunset. She looked up. And beamed gleefully, blissful delight gushing from her ever gesture. And his heart stopped, his voice caught somewhere in his throat, and he wasn't a mother anymore (or a boy pretending to be one) but fully fifteen in every way, a teenager with his heart just knocked up, because her smile was the sun. "Oz! Look, this stuff's called painting! Isn't it **magnificent**?" She really wasn't expecting to be seized in a sudden hug, or to hear his voice whisper harshly in her ear. _"You nearly killed me. Never never never never never never never leave ever ever again."_ She scowled. "_You_ didn't come with me. That's not my fault." He sighed. "_Alice…_never mind. I'll go wait by the merchant while you paint, 'kay?" He rose, patted her head, twice and went to stand by the old woman. "Are you okay? You seemed a…a bit, um… worried?" He grins. "Oh yeah! You know, she just has a habit of wandering off!" He laughed sheepishly, biting his lip and rubbing the back of his head. "I guess…I guess I should be used to it by now, I mean…Hah! But…whenever she's gone, I feel like she's dead, I'm certain of it, and it would've been _all my fault_, and, and…Well, yeah." There is a loud pause of silence, and then Alice is running up, bouncing, happy, and wanting to bring her picture home. Oz slaps down a dollar, grins, shouts "have a good day", and runs to catch up to an already wandering Alice. "Hey Alice! I bought you something!" "MEAT?" "No, it's a rabbit!" Pause. "Does it look like me, when I'm-" Laughter. "No! No, it's small, soft, and fluffy!" "What? Manservant! What's the point of that?!" More laughter. "It's nice company, Alice! It can be your friend!" "Aren't you my friend, Oz?" "Of course! You're so cute, Alice!" Smack. "Know your place! Anyway, if you're my friend, why do I need another one?" Pause. "For when I'm gone, Alice." "You're leaving?!" "No! No, it's just…Accidents, things, they happen, Alice. And, well, I'm not the _only_ person in the world!" "It still sounds like you're leaving." "I'm not!" "Good. Your place is by me." "And yours by me." "OZ! You cheeky little bas-" "Ah-ah-ah, Alice! Maybe you need to wash your mouth out with soap!" "Wha-? Does it taste good?" "Um…Never mind, Alice!" "What?!" "Er…Just _don't _eat it. Don't." "Fine." "That's good." "Stop patting my head, Oz!" "Heheheheh!" "MANSERVANT!" The old woman gazes after them, shaking her head in slight disapproval, yet smiling all the same. _Ah, so young. So, so young._ She briefly touches her aching hip (_It's going to rain soon, that's for sure!_) and smiles again. "Good day, young'uns!" They probably don't hear her, but maybe they do, and she'll say it all the same. _And may the rest that follow after also be a blessing. May good fortune smile upon you, and may the ruts in your paths not be too deep, may you find the way home. May you always find Home._ She remembers the bright colors dashed on the piece of paper, and smiles. Whatever they're in for, they're getting an adventure, that's for sure.


	11. Sweet Dreams, Oz

**Hiya! OK, my computer broke down, so it took a while, but I'm back now! ^.^**

His screams were what woke her up. _Another dream?_ She thought sadly. She sighed quietly as she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his shoulder. _Oz…_She bit savagely on her tongue to keep the annoyance of tears at bay. _This is idiotic. Appallingly idiotic. _She kneed his guts and he woke with a startled groan. "Ugh…! Alice, wha…?" He muttered sleepily. "You woke me up. Another nightmare." She said, acting gruff. "Couldn't you _try _to sleep better? I'm losing sleep!" Oz chuckled dolefully. "Sorry, Alice." He whispered softly, knowing full well the softness that she hid behind her brusque manner. "I dreamt…I dreamt that everyone was happy again…but then…" He shuddered. "Everyone died, one by one. It was a bloody mess." She sighed. "Well. It's over now. Go to sleep, okay?" He nodded. "Mph." He rolled over to face her. "Alice?" he whispered hesitantly. "What?" She yawned in pretended drowsiness. "I…I'm glad you're back." He said softly. "Hm. Me too." The sheets rustled as he settled more comfortably into her arms. He closed his eyes, muttering a "good night." After a couple of hours he fell asleep, his body finally relaxing. "Sweet dreams Oz, sleep well." _Please._ She too closed her eyes, and nestling her head into his shoulder, joined him in dreaming.


End file.
